Thrombosis (or Blood Clots)

Heart attacks, strokes, and totally blocked leg arteries are caused by thrombosis, or blood clots, that block arteries. If your doctor has prescribed anti-clotting medicines, it is crucial that you take them exactly as prescribed for as long as your doctor says. Never stop taking prescribed medications without talking with the doctor who prescribed them.

Heart and Vascular Disease

After either a bare metal or drug-eluting stent is implanted, there is a small chance that a blood clot may form on its surface. The chance of forming blood clots is low (it occurs in less than one in 200 patients). However, if blood clots form, the complications can be serious. They can result in recurrent chest pain or heart attack.

Cardiovascular disease refers to a broad range of diseases that cause narrowing of the blood vessels or weaken the artery walls, resulting in disruptions in efficient blood flow. Included under the broad umbrella of cardiovascular disease are coronary artery disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral artery disease (PAD), renal (kidney) artery disease, heart failure and high blood pressure. While these conditions may affect different parts of the body, they often share the same underlying cause: atherosclerosis (pronounced ath-row-sklee-rosis), or “hardening” of the arteries.

SecondsCount is a project of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI)

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